In parallel to the influx of migrants, the impacts of migration on welfare in receiving countries and cities have become an important debate in both migration studies and socioeconomic policies. In this debate, the interrelated and complementary concepts of plurality, diversity and multiculturalism have gained an increasing social and political interest in recent years.

Diversity can be defined from a social and political perspective as the ideology of including people of diverse cultural and religious background (multiculturalism) and the political and social policy of encouraging tolerance for people of different backgrounds. However, pluralism is neither diversity alone nor just tolerance, but an engagement with diversity and an active seeking of understanding across lines of difference. Pluralism is based on dialogue and dialogue means both speaking and listening, and that process reveals both common understandings and real differences.

This publication includes a coherent set of articles on diversity and cultural dialogue, addressing modern theories and concepts relating to research on diversity and multiculturalism and to illustrate different case studies of managing diversity from different countries and multicultural cities. This publication aims to understand the ways of dealing with diversity and its dynamics in the globalisation era. It aims, in particular, to provide (i) a better understanding of cultural assets and how their diversity contributes to human welfare and knowledge creation, (ii) a better understanding of the dynamics of cultural diversity in the globalisation age, its feed back effects on society and the economy and the changes required in the way we approach and deal with diversity, (iii) a better understanding of cultural dialogue as a key mechanism through which cultural diversity can lead to knowledge creation and social capital and as a process promoting social cohesion.

The collection of articles in this publication provides important insights into the ongoing debate of diversity and multiculturalism. An important conclusion from the articles in this publication is that the research in the field of diversity and multiculturalism does significantly contribute to a better understanding of the complexity of the issue concerned and is able to develop relevant policies for a sustainable diversity.